Scheduling and Forgiveness
by songandsilence
Summary: Josh screws up and tries to make it up to Donna. Josh/Donna fluff.


April 4, 2008

Scheduling and Forgiveness

"DONNA!"

Donna Moss sighed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling wearily. She pushed her chair back from her desk but didn't stand.

"Don't shout, Josh!"

"I – what? You're shouting too!" Josh Lyman stuck his head out the door of his office, looking adorably indignant.

Donna grinned and said, in a quieter tone of voice, "Don't shout, Josh."

"Whatever. Donna, did you schedule my Budget meeting for the exact same time as my Senior Staff meeting _and_ my meeting with what's-his-name – " He walked from his office doorway over to where she was sitting. Somehow even that little span of walk turned into a swagger that was quintessentially Josh.

"Fred Wilson, the senator's aide from New Jersey?"

"Yeah, him." Josh raises his eyebrows dramatically and stared down at her. "Three meetings at one time? How is that even possible?" Although annoyed, an amused grin was working its way on his face.

Donna spun back around in her chair, sighing in aggravation. "It's not, Josh. Give me a second to fix it." She started typing, but Josh was still hovering over her shoulder. She peered back at him. "Don't you have anything important and or useful that you're supposed to be doing?"

"No, not really," he replied flippantly, staring at something on her desk. She followed his gaze and saw a small vase of flowers she had put there this morning. "What are those?"

"They're flowers, Josh." Donna seemingly ignored him but was intensely aware of his every move.

"I'm aware of that, but thank you. I almost mistook them for pencils." Josh leaned over her and poked at one. She froze as his body came into extremely close contact with hers. He, however, didn't seem to sense it. "Who are they from?"

"This guy I went out with last night," she replied breezily, still typing. "Here. Now your Budget meeting is in 25 minutes, Senior Staff's at the same time and I'll call Wilson and tell him he's coming at…5:40." She spun in her chair to face him where he was now standing, looking confused.

"What guy did you go out with last night?"

She made an annoyed face but was secretly pleased. "Josh, didn't you he – "

"Yeah, whatever. Great. But what guy did you go out with last night?" He sounded so indignant that she almost smiled.

"His name is George."

"George."

"Yeah. George. He was nice. He brought me flowers."

"Huh." Josh looked slightly confused. "I get you flowers."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Yes, against my express wishes. Also, you're not going out with me. It's different."

"Well, ok, fine. But this guy's no different from the rest, right? Just another random loser you happen to like for a while?" He sounded a little worried, and Donna made herself frown sternly at him.

"Josh, I know you have a very low regard for whomever I decide to date, but if you could maybe talk less about it, that would be lovely."

"Why?"

"Because you're insulting my taste."

"No I'm…ok, so I am, but you have bad taste." At this he crossed his arms and got a very self-satisfied look on his face.

"Josh!" She said angrily. He looked at her with mock innocence.

"What?" She glared for a moment before saying, rather frostily, that his Budget meeting was soon. "We have not been standing here for almost twenty minutes," he argued.

"Believe it or not, time does not stop for you to insult me," Donna replied, turning back to her desk. She started typing, steadfastly ignoring Josh, who was looking at the back of her blonde head.

"So…Budget?" He asked, his tone indicating that he was tentatively offering a ceasefire.

"Yeah. In five." Her tone indicated that she was not accepting. Yet.

--

The next day, Donna came into work to find a bouquet of fuscia flowers lying on her chair. She smiled when she saw them but then quickly looked towards Josh's door to make sure he hadn't seen. She put them on a cabinet near her desk and then ignored them.

--

The day after that, there was a blueberry muffin next to a few carnations tied with a white ribbon. Another peace offering, that she smiled at and then pretended to ignore.

--

On the third day, after a chocolate croissant and a couple random flowers picked from a garden on the way to work, Josh cornered her in the hall.

"How long are you going to be mad at me?"

Donna kept walking and tried to seem aloof. "I'm not sure, Josh, you did insult my taste in men. Which may not be fool proof, but I think it's just fine."

"Yeah, but you're using up all my money," he said as he walked with her, almost walking backwards so that he could face her. They weaved in and out of the crowded halls with practiced ease.

"And who's fault is that?" she said archly.

"Okay, look." He stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop, and held her upper arms. "Donna, I am very sorry for insulting the men you choose, even though I still think they're – " She gave him a withering look. " – beneath you. But I'll shut up. Please accept my apology."

Donna tried to be cold. She really did. But who could honestly stand up against the Josh Lyman puppy-eyed stare? No one, that's who. So she rolled her eyes to the ceiling, prayed for patience, and said wearily, "Fine. Apology accepted."

Josh grinned like a five-year-old at Christmas and impulsively leaned in and kissed her cheek.

As he walked away with his usual swagger somehow intensified, Donna remained rooted in place, feeling her face grow warm.


End file.
